Warrior Angel
by Thanatos34
Summary: What if Thane calling Shepard Siha is more than just a simple term of endearment? What if its the literal truth? Eventual FemShep/Thane.
1. Sacrifice

_~Author's Note~ The idea for this story has been floating around in my head for a very long time. I'm not certain if I will go all the way through ME3 with it, we'll see. _

_Some people may consider the story slightly AU. _

* * *

_Alchera, November 5th, 2183 C.E. One month after Sovereign's defeat at the hands of the Systems Alliance._

If an impartial observer looked out across Alchera's icy landscape, he could be forgiven for believing that nothing good would ever come off of this planet. Alchera had no summer, not really, it was nearly always icy cold. And it certainly never got hot.

Of course, that very fact might be exactly why whatever had taken those ships had chosen this planet as a staging ground for their attacks. After all, who was likely to come looking for them in this backwater world? And if they were geth, the cold really wouldn't bother them.

Evelynn Shepard was of the opinion that they were most certainly not geth. She wasn't even certain that she believed the Council's report of four ships having gone missing here over the last month. It seemed just like an all-too-convenient excuse to get her out of their hair. Well, metaphorically speaking. Only Councilor Udina had anything remotely resembling hair, and he didn't have much of it, at that.

Her opinion of the Council was the same one she had of every other politician. Willing to say and do anything to keep their power. And if the hero of the Citadel, Commander Shepard, disagreed with their public statements about what had caused the devastation to their giant mass effect relay, (and it was a mass effect relay, despite what the Council wanted to believe), then she needed to be quietly reassigned. Let's tell the public that they don't have to worry anymore, it was just the geth, and we have the great Commander Shepard chasing after them.

Like a dog we've trained. She snorted. Except instead of chasing bones, they had her chasing geth. She pulled on her armor, getting ready to head down to the surface of Alchera and check out a few likely spots for geth activity. It was going to be really freaking cold, she was sure of that.

She was startled out of her thoughts by Joker's voice over the comm. "Uh, Commander? We're picking up a ship on long-range scanners. Going into cloak, just thought I'd let you know."

"Thanks, Joker. I'll be up in the cockpit in a minute."

Now, this was an interesting development indeed. Maybe they had lucked out, and she wouldn't have to go down to the planet's surface after all.

She opened her cabin door, and stepped out into the corridor.

And that was when all hell broke loose.

The first strike slammed her against the side of the hull so hard she saw stars. The second knocked her into the elevator, and she retained enough presence of mind to set it for the CIC.

"Who the hell is blowing holes in my ship?"

No one answered her, of course. What had happened? Joker had said they were going into cloak, had something gone wrong? Or could the geth have a way around their cloaking mechanism now? Or maybe- and the adrenaline spike that accompanied this thought gave her enough energy to race down the corridor towards the beacon that would hopefully summon the Alliance to pull their asses out of this mess- maybe it was the Reapers.

She had just finished sealing her helmet when she heard boots rapidly approaching. She launched the homing beacon right before Ashley Williams, her second-in-command, rounded the corridor, giving a sigh of relief that Shepard heard even through both their helmets. Presumably at seeing Shepard alive and well.

"Will the Alliance get here in time, Shepard?"

"I'm not doing this just so they can find our frozen corpses." She looked up, saw Ash's face was pale, and her tone softened. "They'll get here, Ash."

Williams nodded. "Joker's still up in the cockpit, Shepard, I couldn't get him out. He thinks he can still save the Normandy."

"I'll get Joker. You get to the escape pods, get my crew out of here. Understood?"

"Shepard, I'm not-"

"That's an order, LC. GO!"

Ashley hesitated for a split-second longer, before she gave a brisk salute and turned down the side towards the Normandy's escape pods. Shepard turned upwards, towards the cockpit. "Damn pilot wants to play hero, and of course I have to go haul his ass out of there."

The door opened in front of her. "Of course, he did land in a volcano to save me once-" She cut off as she looked up. The Normandy was sliced open, the center completely exposed to the vacuum of space. Instinctively, she checked her helmet again, just to make sure everything was sealed. She knew it, at that moment. This was not the geth. The geth did not have a single ship that was capable of slicing her ship open like it was butter, not in two shots. She wondered why they had stopped firing. Were they amused by the Normandy's futile struggle to stay in the air? Shepard already knew it was over. Even if whatever that was out there simply went away, right now, the Normandy was still going to go down. The thought unexpectedly brought a bit of emotion with it. "Just hang on a bit longer, old girl. I need to get Joker out of here, okay?"

In retrospect, she really wished that she had asked it to wait until both her and Joker were out.

She slipped through the forcefield that was the only thing protecting Joker from the vacuum of space, glad a hundred times over that the Normandy had a single escape pod near the cockpit, installed just because Joker would have a hard time getting down to the regular escape pods in an emergency due to his Vrolik's syndrome.

First, though, she had to convince the stubborn bastard to use it.

"JOKER! What the hell do you think you're playing at?"

He didn't even glance at her. "I can still save her, Commander! I won't abandon the Normandy!"

"Joker, I can see the damn stars from the bridge! And not through a window! The Normandy is gone. Going down with the ship isn't going to change that. And I am sure as hell not letting you go down with the ship, you're still the best pilot out there. You want a chance to get back at whoever did this, right? You've got to live to do that, soldier."

He sighed, all the fight going out of him. "Yeah, okay. Help me up."

The lights on the console in front of him lit up like a Christmas tree. "Oh shit! They're coming around for another pass!"

The third strike sliced through the Normandy's already crippled midsection, and a groan reverberated throughout the ship. The metal screeched under the strain, and Shepard understood. One more strike, and they were finished. The next shot would cut the Normandy in half.

She grabbed Joker by the arm and hoisted him up, not even bothering to let him limp, just carrying him to the escape pod. She let him down, gently, and pushed him in.

And that was when she ran out of time.

The fourth strike sliced down just behind the cockpit, sending flames that spurted upwards before almost immediately going out seeing as there was practically no air left on the ship. The explosion sent her flying backwards into the bulkhead. She looked up at Joker and their eyes met across the gap.

She knew. There was not enough time. If she tried to pull her way towards Joker, she would not be in time. The Normandy would blow apart before she could reach him.

"Goodbye, Joker. Take care of them!" She reached down and pushed the red button that would seal the pod's door and send it flying towards the surface of the planet.

Joker's eyes went wide and he screamed her name, "Shepard! NO!"

The pod doors sealed.

And the Normandy blew apart.

She didn't have time to worry about Joker, and whether or not the pod had cleared the explosion.

Her body was thrown out into space, and she knew that she had only seconds to live. She hadn't had time to fill up the oxygen tanks in her armor, and so the first breath she took depleted the air supply that was left.

She grasped her throat, struggling, even though she knew it was futile.

The darkness at the corners of her vision began to move in as she gasped.

And then, she ceased struggling and let the blackness take her.

So really, the first time she met the woman in blue, she wasn't dreaming. She was dead.


	2. Sanctuary

_~Author's Note~ Hope you guys enjoy the chapter._

* * *

_The Isle of Light, Date and Time unknown._

When Shepard opened her eyes, she was extremely surprised. Not because she appeared to be lying on her back in the middle of an large grassy field, but because she never expected to open her eyes again.

She sat up, rubbing the back of her head, and feeling the leaves and grass fall out of her hair. This felt exceptionally real, and not like some last-minute hallucination before death. She was still wearing her armor, but not her helmet.

Perhaps there was an afterlife after all.

She glanced around at her surroundings. A forest of trees circled the clearing she was in. In the middle of the field, there was a well, of all things, and three ornate benches were placed around the well. One was the color of the sea, and seemed to have waves flowing along its surface. One was the color of the forest around them, and seemed to practically be bursting with color. The third was red, pulsing, almost angry.

Apparently, no one had been here for some time, since both the well and the benches were overgrown with ivy and other types of plants.

Odd. Everything she knew of the afterlife suggested other people would be here as well.

She raised her voice. "Hello? Anyone there?"

The only sound she received in response was her voice echoing around the clearing.

She went over to the well to find that the bucket had been drawn all the way up, and there was clear, fresh water filling it to the brim. She reached for the bucket and brought it to her lips, taking a large gulp.

More oddities here. Despite her holding the bucket at an angle that should have spilled almost more water than she drank, not a drop went out of the bucket that didn't go into her mouth. Deciding to test a theory, she held the container upside down over the well. Nothing came out of it.

Yep. This was definitely not reality. That, or her oxygen-starved brain was simply going nuts in her last seconds of life. She preferred to think it was the former.

"The water of life cannot be spilled, it can only be consumed by a willing vessel."

She jerked her head up at the voice and swiftly glanced around the clearing. Nothing.

"That is really creepy, you know. Show yourself."

There was no response. Oh, so it was going to be like this.

"Fine. Don't expect me to stick around here if you're just going to hide somewhere and make creepy pronouncements from the forest."

There was a light laugh that seemed to reverberate all around her.

She ground her teeth. "Well, then, I'll guess I'll come find you."

Since she had no idea where she was, and no sun in the sky to point her way, she randomly chose a direction. North, directly behind the bench that appeared to be moving, swaying gently from side to side if she stared at it too closely. She blinked, clearing her vision, and set off. She entered the forest, and immediately saw light coming through from a gap in the trees directly ahead of her. Okay then, she thought, let's go that way.

It appeared to be a good fifty yards distant, but she hadn't gone five paces when she broke out of the forest and onto a beach.

She really wished whatever was screwing with her senses would quit doing so.

She again took stock of her surroundings. Behind her, the forest now seemed to stretch for miles inward, and she could no longer see the clearing from where she stood, even though she knew it was only five steps behind her. In front, a vast, endless ocean stretched out as far as the eye could see, periodically dotted by islands. Struck by a sudden suspicion, she looked around for something to mark her place. Finding nothing, she unbuckled her shoes and set them on the ground, then headed off east. The beach certainly did seem to circle around, as she suspected. And yes, there were her shoes. She was also on an island. She frowned as she looked at her shoes more closely. Or rather, her shoe- there was only one left standing where she had placed both of them.

"Alright you. That's not funny. Bring it back."

The voice that spoke from behind her nearly made her scream in fright due to its proximity.

"Please excuse my son. He is simply playing with you."

She turned, and saw one of the most beautiful creatures she had ever witnessed. The woman was dressed in what looked like green silk. A sash went over her right shoulder and down around her waist, leaving her left breast bare. She appeared to be in an advanced stage of pregnancy, but did not appear to be suffering any discomfort from her condition. Her skin was pale green, and though she looked mostly like a human woman would, besides the color of her skin, something appeared to be... off.

Shepard realized she was staring, and looked up into the woman's eyes, which were as green as the clothes she wore.

"I apologize for my sister's tardiness, Evelynn Fiora Shepard, she is dealing with another matter. Nonetheless, she should have sent someone to explain your rather... unique situation. Like the ocean, however, she can see time on another level from those of us with more... pressing concerns." She laid a hand over her stomach and closed her eyes for a moment.

Shepard cleared her throat, and the creature blinked, opening her eyes and regarding Shepard. "Um... where exactly am I?"

The woman chuckled. "On the Isle of Light, Evelynn. It is where all drell go prior to their own islands."

Shepard looked down at herself, and then back up at the creature. "Not sure if you've noticed this, but I'm not a drell."

The woman nodded. "Like I said, you have a rather unique situation here. I would explain it to you, but I think it would be better for my sister to do so. She has more experience in dealing with mortals than I."

Since that appeared to be the end of that line of conversation, Shepard struck out in another. "Who are you?"

The woman smiled. "I go by many names. Since we are, however, in the drell version of the hereafter, then I suppose my name is Arashu." She land a hand on her stomach again. "I am the goddess of motherhood and protection."

Okay. Maybe she was hallucinating.

"I'm sorry, did you say goddess?"

"I understand most of you humans no longer believe in anything beyond your physical realm, but I assure you, I am quite real." She turned smiling. "As is my sister."

Shepard followed her gaze, and saw a second creature coming up out of the sea, as if she had simply been walking along its floor. She was very similar to the first woman, save her skin was pale blue, as were her eyes and the clothes that she wore. Her clothes were a simple robe that reached below her knees, and she, unlike Arashu, was not pregnant.

The second woman greeted the first with a few murmured words, and then turned to Shepard.

"Welcome, Evelynn Fiora Shepard."

"Oh good, another person who knows my name. And you are?"

"I am Kalahira," she answered simply.

"And are you a goddess too?"

Kalahira glanced over at Arashu and sighed. "I see my sister has handled this with her usual lack of tact. Yes, I am. I am the goddess of Oceans, and of the afterlife. And I need your help in a matter, Shepard."

Shepard looked surprised. "My help? Why would a goddess need my help?"

Kalahira looked back at Arashu. "How much have you told her of our ways, sister?"

"Nothing, I thought you should explain, since you have more experience dealing with mortals."

Kalahira nodded. "First good thing you've done so far." Arashu seemed to be used to Kalahira's abrasive manner, and just smiled.

"My sister has always chosen mortals to help her cause- our cause. She has granted them powers of protection that expand far beyond normal biotic power. Before now, they have always been drell. In their mythology, they are known as siha- warrior angels would be a rough translation."

Shepard instantly caught on. "Oh no. I'm not going to be your sister's "siha". Besides, it wouldn't matter- if you hadn't noticed, I'm dead."

Kalahira nodded, seeming pleased. "Exactly. Thus, my sister cannot choose you, since she has no power over those who have died."

Shepard looked relieved. "Oh. Well, good then."

Kalahira smiled. "I, on the other hand, do have such power."

Shepard glared at her. "What I said about your sister is equally valid about you." Her mind caught up with her voice, and her eyes widened. "Wait a minute. Are you saying you will- well, resurrect me?"

The goddess shook her head. "While I could return you in a different form, it would not work for my purposes. Someone else is already working on bringing you back."

"Someone else? You mean, another one of you gods?"

Kalahira laughed, the sound reverberating around Shepard. "No, no. You humans are quite ingenious sometimes."

_What's going on, Wilson?_

Shepard shook her head, trying to clear it of the voices she was hearing. The ocean seemed to be getting... restless. Kalahira was still talking. "...much time left. I simply didn't want you to dismiss the dreams out of hand. I will give further instructions-"

_Well, do something! She can't wake up, not yet!_

"-not be allowed to die, or the galaxy's fate is sealed-"

_Give her more of the sedative, damn it!_

_That's too risky, it could send her into cardiac arrest!_

Now the sea was a roiling, tossing cauldron of unrest. A particularly large wave was approaching the shore. Shepard thought about pointing it out. But Arashu was staring at the sea, thoughtfully, and if she wasn't worried about it, then why should Shepard be worried about it? Kalahira was still going on, but the noise of the ocean was drowning her out completely.

_Do it! Now!_

_Stats falling back into the clear. That was close._

_The woman's voice again. Just a snarl, some sort of angry expression Shepard couldn't quite catch._

She saw Kalahira's face, one more time. The goddess smiled, and turned her back on Shepard, and the sea came crashing in.


	3. Advice

_~Author's Note~ I'm not going to go through all of ME2, the story will skip around. _

_Same thing with ME3 once we get there. I'm sure you can fill in the blanks._

_Note that a few things with regards to the Cerberus/quarians conflict may not be 100% accurate, as I haven't read the book that goes through that particular incident. Like I said in the beginning, this story may be just slightly AU._

_Enjoy the chapter._

* * *

_Cerberus Base- Codename Lazarus, Location Unknown, November 17th, 2185 C.E._

She sat up with a start and a gasp, still feeling the spray of seawater on her face. It took her a few seconds to look at her surroundings and realize she was awake. Or rather, alive.

She wondered how long she had been dead. From the time she awoke on the island until the sea came crashing down on her, well, it had only seemed like an hour or so. But who knew how time ran in the afterlife. Assuming, of course, that all of that hadn't been a dream. It was very difficult to look around now and still hold to the idea that she had met a goddess. Two, as a matter of fact.

The female from her dream spoke over the comm system, telling her to get out of there, something about her injuries not being healed, but it didn't matter, because someone was coming to try and kill her.

Shepard looked down at herself. She looked fine. Better than fine, actually, the scars along her stomach were gone, and so was the one that had spiraled down her arm for as long as she could remember.

She slipped off the bed and grabbed her armor as she had been instructed.

Her battle instincts kicked in at that point.

Honestly, did whoever was trying to kill her really think that a few mechs were going to take down Commander Shepard? They should have done their homework.

* * *

_Cerberus Delta-Class Transport, En-route to Cerberus Cell- Codename Hercules, November 17th, 2185 C.E._

In the shuttle, on the way to meet their boss, Shepard nearly told Miranda and Jacob about her visions.

Something Miranda said about testing her to make sure everything was all right stopped her. Well, that, and the fact that these guys were Cerberus. They may have resurrected her, for which she wasn't certain whether to feel grateful, or just annoyed that they hadn't let her rest in peace, but still. The memory of Akuze, which she had buried as far down into her subconscious as she possibly could, nagged at her. She knew Cerberus had been behind that attack. There were 15 deaths on their hands, 15 men and women that she had known personally, and known well. Sacrificed simply in the name of science.

And now they expected her to simply forget the past and work with them because human colonies were under attack? Evelynn Shepard was many things, but a saint wasn't one of them. She would never forgive Cerberus for what happened to her squad. Their names were etched on her sniper rifle, as Jacob well knew- he had noticed and asked her about them, and she had cut him off rather brusquely, saying it was none of his business. Jacob seemed like a decent human being, but he was still Cerberus. Miranda... Miranda seemed exactly like the cold, calculating sort that would have had no problem sacrificing her squad for an experiment.

As soon as she got around a computer, she was going to open up her old research files and see if anyone could tell her if Miranda Lawson had had anything to do with Akuze. If the answer was yes... her knuckles whitened with the intensity of her grip. Well, if she had had something to do with Akuze, then the Illusive Man was going to have to find another person to serve as her XO. She'd drop Miranda out of the airlock in a heartbeat.

As for the Illusive Man himself, he was definitely going to die by her hand one day. She had already decided that, a long time ago, although she didn't have a name to attach to the leader of Cerberus at that point. Well, not that she really had one now, either. She figured he wouldn't meet her face-to-face or anything, given that he had probably done his research and knew she had been on Akuze. But one day, he would slip up, or she would manage to get past his system and figure out where he was... and on that day, he would wish he had left her to rest in peace.

She looked up and met Miranda's eyes, and the biotic flinched at her expression, her voice trailing off for a second before she regained her composure, and asked her a few questions about what had happened in the past. Shepard never took her gaze off Miranda, and she could see it flustered her.

She grinned. Let her squirm a bit.

* * *

_Cerberus Cell- Codename Hercules, November 17th, 2185 C.E._

She had been correct in her assumption. The Illusive Man didn't meet her face to face, but rather talked to her through a quantum entanglement system, the exact mechanics of which were completely beyond her.

All she knew that they were extremely expensive, and could only contact one other machine, which made their usage by their wider galaxy a bit of a problem. It would cost an astronomical number of credits to set up enough systems that they could use them for standard communication.

Despite her reservations against Cerberus, it did at least sound like what they were doing was a good thing- but then, it was Cerberus. She couldn't trust a single word out of this guy's mouth.

He wanted her to immediately head off and explore a planet that had apparently vanished. It was very clear to her that he was hiding something, some information about what had occurred. It wouldn't surprise her at all if he already knew what had taken place on this world, and simply thought she needed to see it for herself.

* * *

_Normandy SR-2, En-route to Omega, November 18th, 2185 C.E._

Shepard glanced around her cabin. It had been one hell of a long day, and it didn't help that it was two in the morning now. Running into Tali on Freedom's Progress had been... unexpected, to say the least. Not to mention that yesterday she had been, well, dead. Tali seemed to be even more vehemently anti-Cerberus that Shepard would have expected from her.

She turned to her extranet terminal and fired it up, searching for any news related to both the quarian fleet and Cerberus.

It didn't take her long to find why Tali had been so mad. It was exactly as that other quarian had said. Cerberus had blown up a liveship in order to cover their escape. Details were sketchy, but it appeared they had been after a human biotic.

Unconsciously, Shepard's own biotics flickered into life around her, the thought of being not resurrected, but captured by Cerberus was a ghastly thought indeed. Shepard knew exactly what types of experiments Cerberus might run, having shut down some of their sick and twisted labs less than a month ago. She started and corrected herself- two years ago. It may feel like she had been out of it for only a few hours, but Jacob had assured her, despite her initial disbelief, that she been gone two years.

Well, at least she had Joker to watch her back. The initial reaction at seeing him had been joy, but their ensuing conversations had been strained, to say the least. She would have to bring up the subject of what happened on the SR1. She was no psychologist, but she didn't need to be one to know that the man would blame himself for her death. And he was partially right, if his stubborn nature hadn't lead him to try to save the Normandy, but instead followed protocol, she would never have died. Of course, if Joker had followed protocol, he might not be the pilot he was today, and she would have died a long time prior.

She accessed her old e-net mail account, surprised to see it was still up and running. There were several thousand emails written to her, many from simple citizens who knew she was dead, and were thanking her for her service. She wondered how that information had been leaked. She did notice that a common theme among the few she read was to talk about how "the council can say what they like about you." No surprise there, Jacob had already told her that the council had just tried to bury everything she had brought up.

She sighed. Politics at its best. The council could kiss her ass, and she'd tell them as much if she ever saw them again. She did wish she had her old team back with her. Right now, she felt removed from the people on board the ship, and apparently they were going to go get Mordin Solus and a vigilante with the alias Archangel first. Miranda had suggested it, and she nearly told the woman to shove it before she belatedly realized it was a good idea. Without Mordin's protection against those seeker swarms, they were sitting ducks. So she swallowed her initial reaction and ordered the jump to Omega. Miranda's small smirk did not go unnoticed, but she was right, Omega was the logical first choice. She couldn't let her personal dislikes get in the way of the mission.

She shut off the monitor and slipped into her bed. It had been a very long day, and she was out like a light in a matter of minutes.

And for the first time in two years, Commander Shepard dreamed.

* * *

She blinked, clearing her vision, and let out a startled exclamation. She was in a very familiar clearing, with a well and three benches. A young child was sitting not two feet from her, his head cocked to one side, and staring at her.

The voice that spoke, however, did not come from him, but from behind her. "I apologize for bringing you back here so soon. I imagine the effect it has on a mortal is... slightly disturbing."

Shepard twisted, looking around behind her. Kalahira was standing behind the well, pouring water into it from a bowl that appeared to never run out.

She didn't get up, but instead lay back, relishing the feel of the grass under her. "Actually, I find it immensely calming-" Her statement was cut off when something pinged off her head. "OW!" She sat up abruptly, to see the kid still calmly staring at her, regarding. A handful of what looked like nuts was in his left hand, his right was still in the act of throwing.

"What was that for?"

He simply stared at her. Abruptly, he dropped the nuts, and made his way over to the forest, where he bent down and began to do something on the ground that Shepard couldn't see.

Kalahira's tone was frustrated. "I apologize again. Arashu's son is... unique. You must understand, Shepard, as the goddess of motherhood, she will always be pregnant so long as anyone in the galaxy is, but she has never actually given birth before. Last month was the first time she did, and she was as surprised as the rest of us. It is not something any of us have experience with, raising a child."

Shepard stared at her, questions whirling through her mind. "He's only a month old?"

"In our time, yes. But our time works far differently than yours."

She was silent for a moment. Then she glanced down into the well and ceased pouring the water into it, seemingly satisfied with the result. "This is not, however, why I brought you here. I wanted you to be aware of something that otherwise you wouldn't be, and thus, would make a mistake for which you would never forgive yourself.

"When you reach Omega, do not go for Mordin Solus first. You must rescue Archangel prior to going after the doctor. He is out of time, and if you wait to go after him, he will be dead before you reach him."

Shepard nodded. "Alright, I'll remember that. I hope. Why would I never forgive myself for that, though?"

She heard a rumbling again, as the sea came rolling across the island. Kalahira stared at her, mouthing something. Apparently realizing Shepard couldn't hear her, she raised her voice long enough for Shepard to catch, "... must go after him first!" Which didn't help in the slightest.

Shepard opened her mouth to reply, and it was filled with seawater. She woke, gasping, her sheets a mess from all the twisting and turning she had apparently been doing in her sleep.

"I really wish a goddess would be able to figure out when I'm about to wake up, so potentially critical information is delivered before I leave." She rolled over and gasped as something dug into her side. She reached down under the covers and closed her fingers around it. She knew what it was the instant she touched it, but she brought it up to her eyes just to confirm it.

Shepard stared down at the acorn that lay in the palm of her hand.


	4. Awakening

_~Author's Note~ I believe I have everything figured out, so here we go._

_Please remember to drop me a review if you read; and enjoy the chapter._

* * *

_Omega, November 18th, 2185 C.E_.

"What do you mean you're going for the vigilante first? We need the doctor as soon as possible so that he can start working on a defense against the seeker swarms!" Miranda stood at the entrance to the Normandy, hands splayed on her hips. She reminded Shepard of her old teacher back at the Alliance academy for biotics. Not a good reminder.

"Am I in charge of this mission or not, Ms. Lawson?"

"Your decision makes no logical sense. Dr. Solus is needed to complete this mission. This... Archangel, as he calls himself, is simply another gun. Useful, certainly, but not necessary."

"And we will be picking up Dr. Solus as well, just after we retrieve Archangel."

Miranda opened her mouth to object again, but Shepard was fed up.

"Enough." Her voice cracked like a whip. "Either I am in charge of this mission, in which case we are going after Archangel, or I am not and you're actually the one the Illusive Man put in command and I'm just a puppet. In which case, you can have fun going after the Collectors yourselves. Which is it?"

She stared down Lawson, meeting her eyes fearlessly.

Miranda lowered her gaze. "You are in charge, Commander."

"Good. Then, I believe we need to go see the recruiter on the first level."

* * *

It was when the second concussive round slammed into her shields that she knew Archangel understood they were fighting on his side. He was simply trying to keep up the show.

She ran up behind the four mercs that had managed to make it across the bridge.

They were planting a bomb on the door that led inside Archangel's hideout.

The engineer was leaning down, programming something into the bomb, probably a timer. Shepard spoke up. "Are you sure that thing is safe?"

He didn't even glance at her. "It's perfectly safe, I know exactly what I'm doing."

"Really? It looks like it's about to blow to me."

"Absolutely ridiculous, this thing is no more about-" He cut off as he looked up at Shepard and the pistol she was pointing at him. Or rather, at the bomb.

The explosion took her shields, but it also took out all four of the mercs. She was laughing, tasting her own blood inside of her mouth. Combat came easy to her. It made her feel alive. Jacob glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. His expression was a little fearful.

She ignored it and climbed up the stair, reaching the top and her goal.

"Archangel?"

He held up a finger, signalling her to wait.

A single shot rang out from his rifle, and a startled cry came up from below. Apparently she had missed one.

She forgot all about that when he removed his helmet.

"Aren't you supposed to be dead?"

"Garrus!"

Now she understood. If she had gone after Dr. Solus first, "Archangel" would have been overwhelmed by the mercs before she could arrive. She sent up a silent thank you to Kalahira.

Garrus was explaining that despite Shepard's reinforcements, they were still in a bad spot.

All three merc groups had ganged up on him, and so far, while he had taken out many of the freelancers, the mercs themselves had sent very few against him. He had taken down a gunship once, but he hadn't destroyed it.

Shepard smirked at that. "It might take awhile longer for them to repair it."

Garrus gave her a quizzical look, but Shepard waved him off. "I'll explain later. What's the plan?"

"Sit tight, wait for them to come to us, take out enough of them, and then make a break for it. Sound good to you, Shepard?"

"Just like old times."

* * *

Taking down Jaroth and his Ecplise was actually rather easy, considering.

The Heavy Mech that Jacob had reprogrammed turned on the Ecplise and tore them to shreds. When Jaroth came over the barricade, expecting to see that his men had opened a breach into Archangels hideout behind the mech, he was completely alone. Shepard's biotics tore him apart in a matter of seconds. Jacob swore quietly from behind the pillar he was using for cover.

"Miranda, you ever think that maybe we don't quite know what we've woken up?"

She looked at him, puzzled. "You mean who?"

The squelch of Jaroth's head imploding from a bioticly-enhanced punch reached them. He shuddered. "No. I don't."

She stood at the end of the bridge, covered in the salarian's blood, roaring her defiance at the enemy on the other side of the defenses. "Is that it? Where are you Garm? I know you'd be a better fight than this!"

Garrus appeared at the top of their hideout. "Shepard! Get back here! We've got trouble!"

She snarled, and turning, stormed back towards him, brushing past Jacob and Miranda without a word.

"What is it now?"

"There was an explosion from below. I think they finally thought to use their brains, for once. Go close the shutters down there, would you?"

"All right. Jacob, with me. Miranda." She drilled the woman with her gaze. "Keep him alive or you'll answer for it."

It took Jacob and Shepard all of five minutes to clear the area under Archangel's lair. The only tricky part came when Shepard blindly charged around a corner and a vorcha turned his flamethrower on her. Jacob thought she was in serious trouble, but she stepped forward through the flames, grabbed the vorcha with one hand, and put three rounds through his head with the pistol in her other hand.

He stood there, gaping.

"What are you waiting for, Taylor? We got one more to close!"

* * *

Shepard had been right. Garm was far more of a challenge. The Krogan seemed to just shrug off hits, and Shepard could see his skin closing around the numerous bullet holes they had inflicted on him.

No matter what they did, he simply healed too fast for it to be more than an inconvenience. And now he had Garrus cornered.

Jacob fired his shotgun into the Krogan's side, finally making enough of a dent that Garm retreated a bit. It was past time to end this.

Shepard pulled her grenade launcher off her back, and fired three rounds at Garm just as he stood up from his cover. The first blew the armor off his chest, the second made a dent in it, and the third blew a hole through him and knocked him off his feet.

"Heal from that, you bastard!"

Incredibly, the krogan still was not dead. He struggled back upright, and to her utter astonishment, Shepard saw even the hole through his chest begin to close.

Garm grinned at her, showing his teeth. "Redundant nervous system."

Shepard grinned back at him. "Singularity."

The miniature black hole sprang to life inside of Garm's wound, just before it finished closing around it. The krogan gave her a strange look, and then the worst-sounding wail she had ever heard in her life came roaring out of his mouth as the singularity's gravity grabbed most of his organs and much of his skeletal structure and smashed them together in the middle of his body. He was dead before he hit the ground.

Shepard didn't want to go look at what was left of Garm. Doubtless it would not be a pretty sight.

Garrus was staring at her. The look was not one she was used to from him. It was almost... afraid?

"Archangel! You think you can screw with the Blue Suns?"

Tarak's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "Garrus! Get down!"

The turian turned, intending to leap for cover, but Tarak's machine gun opened up on him while he was still out in the open.

Garrus grunted as many of the bullets found their mark, managing to make it behind a couch. Shepard screamed at him to move, that wouldn't stop anything. He was either too badly hurt to hear her, or he heard her, but was too badly hurt to move.

Desperately, she opened up on the gunship with her heavy pistol, trying to get Tarak's attention, but the Blue Suns' leader had revenge on his mind. He didn't care if he went down at this point, he was taking Garrus with him.

She wished with her all heart that she had taken the rocket launcher with the heat-seeking missiles instead of a grenade launcher. What use was a grenade launcher against a gunship?

All they could do was whittle the thing down with their pistols, but as focused on Garrus as he was, Tarak would undoubtedly kill the turian before his gunship was destroyed.

It was Jacob who saw a way out of their situation, noticing from his vantage point what Shepard could not possibly see from hers. The side of the gunship was wide open.

He took a risk, standing up and racing over to where Shepard was sitting. Tarak continued to pour fire into Archangel's cover, the bullets chewing through the upholstery and reducing it to nothing more than a pile of fluff in short order.

Jacob grabbed the grenade launcher off of Shepard's back. She jerked at the contact, turning, thinking they had been ambushed by an enemy.

"Taylor! What do you think you're doing?"

"Saving our ass, Commander!"

He headed straight for the window. Tarak saw him coming, of course, but he was too focused on Archangel and the knowledge that his hated enemy was laying there, completely vulnerable to him.

Jacob fired the grenade launcher twice, launching both into the side of the ship.

Tarak grinned as he fired the rocket stored in the gunship's underbelly.

The grenades exploded, destroying everything in the cockpit and leaving Tarak nothing more than a pile of ash, but the rocket had already left the gunship.

"GARRUS!"

The turian looked up just as the rocket made contact with his body. No cover, nothing between him and it but his armor and his shields.

Shepard knew that he was dead. There was no way he could have survived such a thing.

She had to see for herself, sprinting over and dropping down beside him. Miranda scanned him. Her voice was not something Shepard wanted to hear. "I'm sorry, Shepard. Somehow he's still alive, but there's no way he'll make it to the Normandy in time to stay that way." Shepard thought her voice was more heartless than it needed to be.

She could hear Jacob in the background, yelling at Joker to send down a shuttle.

No matter how much she hated it, she knew that Miranda was right. She could see his life-force leaving his body. Garrus wouldn't live long enough to see the Normandy. She sat back, covering her face, the tears staining her cheeks.

Wait a minute.

_She could see his life-force leaving his body._

What in the name of the galaxy? She sat there, staring at him now. A mist hovered over Garrus, slowly leaving his prone form. Was she really seeing this, or was she just hallucinating?

"Are you just going to let him die?"

Her head jerked up, complete shock written on her features.

Kalahira stood behind Garrus, wearing the same clothes as when Shepard saw her last.

"Shepard?" Miranda looked at where she was staring, then back at her. "What is it?"

Kalahira spoke again, her voice calm. "I would not speak to me. Your companions cannot see me, and doubtless that one would love to have a reason to doubt your mental state. You have the power to save this man."

Shepard spoke anyway, against Kalahira's warning. "How? Tell me how!"

Miranda looked at her, askance, then shook her head in pity. Doubtless she thought Shepard, confronted by the death of an old friend, had snapped.

Shepard didn't care. If she could save Garrus, then she could care less whether Miranda thought she had lost it.

The goddess of oceans simply reached her hand down and touched Garrus. Shepard looked at her. Kalahira motioned with her other hand for Shepard to do the same.

She reached out and grabbed Garrus by his left shoulder.

Kalahira spoke again, her voice different, more of a ritual feeling to it. "Do you permit this one to depart, given that it is not yet his time?"

Shepard replied, her voice sharp and unwavering. "Fuck no."

Kalahira smiled, and then her form broke apart into a million shining pieces. Her voice hovered on the air around them. "Not exactly the proper answer, my siha, but it will do."

A sudden rush of electricity shot down Shepard's arm and into Garrus' body. She held on, determined that even though she had no idea what was going on, she was not going to let Garrus leave. She needed his help.

The mist ceased its ascent, and with a sudden rush of wind, returned to the turian. He gasped, his eyes opening.

"Garrus!" Shepard's joyful shout echoed around the room.

Miranda whirled back around, her eyes wide in amazement.

Shepard kept up a constant stream of words, talking to Garrus, telling him to hang on, that Joker was sending a shuttle to pick them up.

Miranda stared down at her, remembering Jacob's words from earlier.

What had they woken up?


	5. Discovery

_~Author's Note~ Glad so many people are following, and I assume, enjoying the story. _

_Please do leave a review if you can. Hearing people's thoughts, even if its just a line, is more telling than a simple story follow. _

_Also, if you didn't get this from the previous chapter, Garrus is significantly more injured than in the canon. He isn't going to be walking around and making jokes two hours after taking a rocket to the face._

_Enjoy the chapter!_

* * *

Miranda opened the door to the Normandy's infirmary. Shepard had taken a break, heading down to the kitchen to get some coffee in order to stay awake, as she refused to go to bed till they were certain Garrus was going to make it. That was exactly why Miranda chose now to go in.

Dr. Chakwas was seated in a chair, looking down at some notes, sipping a drink of her own. She looked up as the door opened, and raised an eyebrow when Miranda carefully shut it behind her.

She spared a glance at the turian on the bed. "He gonna make it?"

Chakwas shook her head, but it wasn't a denial, it was more in amazement. "Yes, Ms. Lawson, he is going to make it. How, I don't know. I've been in the medical field since I graduated from university, longer ago than I care to admit. Yet this... maybe there is something about Turian physiology that I don't know. By all rights, he should be dead."

Miranda nodded. "Yeah, they are pretty tough bastards."

Chakwas seemed unsatisfied with the explanation, but shrugged her shoulders. She was a doctor, she had heard more than her fair share of unsatisfactory explanations.

"Now, Ms. Lawson, why don't you tell me why you really came in here. Somehow I don't think the turian's welfare was of paramount importance in your mind."

Miranda didn't bother to deny it. "Has Shepard been... hearing things ever since you knew her?"

"Hearing things, my dear? I think her hearing is exceptionally acute, more so than many other humans."

Miranda shook her head. Chakwas knew exactly what she was asking, but she was going to make her say it anyway.

"She was talking to someone who wasn't there, Doctor. After Garrus got shot. He was laying there on the ground, I had already determined that nothing could be done, and she got the most peculiar expression on her face. And then, out of the blue, she just started talking to thin air."

"Mental trauma, such as seeing an old friend dying before your eyes with you powerless to save him, could easily account for a temporary break in her sanity, Miranda. It's something to keep an eye on, to be sure, but as long as it only happens in those situations-"

The Cerberus operative broke in. "And what if it happens when one of her friends has been shot and is dying, and we still need her to command the rest of us anyway? I'm not waiting until she has a psychotic breakdown on the field to diagnose her with an actual mental problem."

Chakwas gave her an irritated look. "As I was going to say, as long as it only happens in those situations, I'm not sure I'd be able to reproduce it well enough in order to determine what exactly is wrong. I am curious, however. Why aren't you talking to Ms. Chambers about this? This would seem to be more her area of expertise than mine."

Miranda rolled her eyes. "Because if I told her, I'm afraid the entire crew would know about it in short order. We don't need word getting out that Shepard is mentally unstable."

Dr. Chakwas sounded very surprised. "You brought in a person specifically to talk to people and make sure they're psychologically healthy, and you couldn't find someone who could keep a secret? That would seem to be a very important aspect of being a crew's psychologist."

"I don't trust her to keep secrets from someone she's sleeping with. So like I said, the entire crew would know about it in short order."

"I see." Chakwas' eyes twinkled. It was clear she thought Miranda was exaggerating Kelly's activities. "Rest assured, she has not propositioned me."

"Yet." Miranda glanced back at the door, hearing someone coming towards it. "This has to stay between me and you, doctor. Shepard can't know that I think this, it would affect her command."

"I agree on that much, at least. I shall see if I can subtly inquire into her mental health, all right?"

Miranda nodded gratefully. "That would at least help to put my mind somewhat at ease. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to send off a report to the Illusive Man."

Chakwas narrowed her eyes at their X.O.'s retreating back. "Yes indeed my dear." Then added under her breath, "Thanks for reminding me of your real purpose here."

* * *

Shepard was the only one in the medical bay when Garrus finally came to, almost 40 hours after his injury. Chakwas had decided she had done all she could for the turian, and headed off to get some rest, telling Shepard to notify her if anything went wrong.

Miranda had left a few hours ago, after coming in to try to get Shepard to head out and recruit Mordin Solus for the team, which she flatly refused to do while Garrus was still out cold. When Miranda pressed her, Shepard snapped, shoving the Cerberus operative up against the wall.

"Listen, you infuriating bitch, even if I was willing to leave one of my best friends lying here, not knowing whether or not he was ever going to wake up again, do you really think I'm in any shape to be leading any sort of mission at the moment? I haven't slept in more than fits and starts for the last day and a half, and I'd be more of a liability in a firefight than a help. If you want Solus on this ship so badly, then go get him yourself. Now get out."

Lawson was at least wise enough to understand when she had pushed Shepard too far, and without another word, turned and left Shepard to her silent vigil.

She had been waiting for a couple more hours after that now, stealing glances at Garrus. His face was bad, the scars on the right side in particular, where the rocket had contact with his shields. The shrapnel from the explosion had cut that side of his face to shreds. They were going to need to get him to a hospital as soon as they could, Chakwas had told her, to let them try to rebuild some of the facial tissue, but Lawson had categorically refused to allow them to leave Omega without first acquiring Dr. Solus. Shepard had attempted to over-rule her, but Cerberus had locked down the ship, their pet AI doing as it was told and preventing Joker from firing their engines.

She couldn't keep working like this, on board a ship full of her enemies, who were still treating her as if she wasn't really the one in command. And to them, she guessed, she really wasn't. The Illusive Man was. She needed another person she could trust. Her musings were interrupted by a motion from the bed, just a small one, but Shepard had been staring at it off and on for a long time now, and it caught her attention immediately.

Garrus' hand lifted to his face, obviously intending to figure out just how bad his injury was.

She spoke softly, so as not to startle him and cause him to do any further damage to himself.

"Hey big guy. We weren't sure if you were going to make it there for awhile."

His hand dropped back down to the bed, and he turned his head to look at her, wincing.

"Hey, Shepard. I was wondering if I had just been dreaming you coming to rescue me."

She grinned. "Do you often dream about me swooping in to rescue you?"

"You wish. Did we get the bastard?"

Her tone softened. "Yeah, Garrus, we got 'em all. And any mercs that are left think you're dead, so there's that."

His hand reached for his face again.

Shepard leaned forward and grabbed him by the wrist. "I wouldn't. Chakwas said to leave it alone or you could make the damage worse."

"How bad is it?"

She grinned, trying to make light of the situation. "Hell, Garrus, you were always ugly. Slap some facepaint on there and no one will even notice a difference."

A small chuckle escaped him at that, and then he winced again.

She released his hand, letting it drop back to the bed. "Are you... does it hurt? I could give you some more painkillers."

He grimaced again. "No thanks. I'd rather keep my head clear, especially as you seem to be on a Cerberus ship. You care to explain that one to me?"

"Just as long as you promise me you'll stay in this bed until we get you healed. I know how stubborn you are, but moving around with your injuries could re-open them."

He smirked. "Alright. You tell me a bedtime story and I'll get some rest."

She rolled her eyes. "This is one hell of a bad bedtime story."

* * *

"Run the footage again, EDI."

"As you wish, Mr. Taylor, but I really don't see any point to this."

Jacob had started to record footage with his omnitool as soon as their fight with Tarak was over, on the off-chance that Chakwas might be able to help Garrus with it. It was something that had been ingrained into him, let the omnitool record an injured person while you're calling for help. It had saved more than a few people's lives, as the medics were able to determine what exactly was wrong and how to fix it a lot sooner.

In this case, however, after Miranda had told him that Shepard seemed to be talking to someone who wasn't there, it doubled as evidence.

He stared at the screen as the events replayed again, Miranda, cold and calculating, then Shepard's sudden exclamation of surprise, her helmeted head jerking up and obviously staring at something that was on the other side of Garrus.

He ran the whole thing through, again. Still nothing. Whatever or whoever Shepard had been talking to, it wasn't something the omnitool could record. Either they were cloaked so well even Cerberus' modified omnitools couldn't pick them up, or... well, there was nothing there.

Shepard didn't seem like a crazy person who saw visions, but not all crazy people seemed like they were crazy.

He glanced around the armory, wondering if there was any point to running it again. He stared over at the array of weapons on the table, his face staring back at him from the reflective surface of his favorite assault rifle. He had polished that baby till it shined-

Wait a minute.

"EDI, play through one more time. Pause it when I tell you."

"Understood, Mr. Taylor."

Again, the footage went up on-screen, but this time, when Shepard's helmet jerked up and her exclamation of surprise echoed around the armory, Jacob wasn't focusing on where she was looking.

"Hold it, EDI."

The footage paused, and he stared at Shepard's helmet, his jaw dropping. "Well. I'll be damned."

Reflected in Shepard's faceplate was another person, one who the omnitool's recording had said was never there.

A woman in blue.


	6. Newcomer

_~Author's Note~ I apologize for this one taking so long. I went back home for a break, assuming I would have plenty of time to write the next chapter, and then realized I had completely forgotten we were taking a road-trip to see a friend. So, I'm back now, but I'm taking a one-week course for the next week, so that's eight hours a day for five days, (woo-hoo. -_-) So the next chapter might be slightly delayed as I'm sure I will be completely burned out come Friday._

_Thanks to those of you who have dropped me a review. :)_

_Enjoy the chapter!_

_There is a reason for the new character's name, bonus points to anyone who figures it out._

* * *

_Omega, November 22, 2185_

Dr. Solus would of course be smack dab in the middle of a fucking plague zone, Shepard thought to herself. A plague that left only humans and vorcha alone, it seemed. She still didn't think she was in good enough shape to be leading a crew that needed to be sharp under fire- eight hours of sleep after only getting a couple hours in the previous two days wasn't good enough to return her to top shape. But the faster she got Solus on board, the faster this infuriating, cold-hearted bitch who went by Miranda would let them head back to the Citadel or possibly Palaven, where hopefully, they could drop Garrus off and get his face patched up.

She wasn't keen on the idea of leaving Garrus somewhere after she had just picked him up, but he needed medical attention that Chakwas simply couldn't give him on the Normandy. And at least Solus wasn't with Cerberus, nor was he likely to join, given that he was a salarian. He might not be friendly to Shepard either, but neutral to both parties was better than the two boot-licking lackeys of Cerberus' she was forced to take with her on missions now.

Miranda Lawson was on Shepard's second list. It was a product of her N7 training that only one person on her first list was still in the world of the living- the Illusive Man- but her second list was people that had a good chance of winding up on her first one. And Lawson was beginning to needle her in more ways than simply irritating ones. Putting the mission, or rather, simple efficiency, ahead of Garrus' future well-being might have been enough to earn her a spot on Shepard's kill list, but she needed Lawson alive- at least for the moment. There would come a time when Cerberus would get everything that was coming to them and more, and on that day, she had already asked Kalahira for Miranda to try and stop her.

Jacob Taylor was less of a nuisance, to be sure. Had it not been for his quick action- without orders, which doubled the worth of the action in Shepard's eyes, she prized people who could act on their own accord- Garrus might not be here. Had he not taken out Tarak when he did, that gunship could have easily killed them all off. And he didn't seem to glance at her out of the corner of his eye every five minutes, like she was an interesting specimen, as did Miranda. She was pretty sure that was because Lawson had heard her talking to Kalahira, and Jacob hadn't, because she assumed that he would be concerned if he had heard her- after all, if one of her crew had told her a goddess was talking to them, she would drop them off at the nearest port- but he still seemed like a good man. A misguided one, obviously, otherwise he wouldn't be with this terrorist organization, but a good man. The galaxy was not a black and white place, and she accepted the fact that there could be good men serving in an organization whose stated goals were evil. Jacob, she thought, could be saved. Miranda... well, she didn't think Miranda could be turned against Cerberus, and if she were honest, she hoped she wouldn't when the time came.

She shook her head and pressed forward, deeper into the plague zone. Now was not the time for such thoughts.

* * *

The Blue Suns were making it damnedly difficult to break through to Solus' lab.

Her stream of thoughts was interrupted again, this time by the sound of a rocket launcher firing. She hurled herself to one side, yelling at Miranda and Jacob to give her some covering fire.

As it turned out, she didn't need it.

Jacob laid down a stream of fire, and Shepard leaned out of cover, preparing to pull as many of the little bastards to her as she could.

That was when a pair of singularities dropped into existence, one to the right of the Suns, and the other to the left, the pull from each almost entirely immobilizing the four hapless mercs. One by one, they each slowly brought their own weapons to their head, and pulled the trigger.

Shepard glanced over at Miranda, preparing to ask why the hell she had been holding back when she was capable of something like that.

But the look on Miranda's face- shock and disgust- revealed that either it was the first time she had ever tried such a technique, or... that it wasn't hers.

"You looked like you could use some help." One of the most sensuous asari Shepard had ever laid eyes on came walking calmly out from behind the mercs, stepping gingerly over the dead bodies with a step that belied the enormous power she had just used to cause four mercenaries to kill themselves.

Miranda stepped forward, her pistol trained on the asari and suspicion written on her features. "Who are you and why are you helping us?"

The asari chuckled, obviously not feeling at all threatened by Miranda aiming the pistol at her. "I told you, young one. You looked like you needed help."

Miranda obviously didn't buy that reason. Before she could use her non-existent diplomacy skills to antagonize an asari powerful enough to drop two singularities at once, Shepard stepped in, extending her hand towards their helper. "Thanks a lot for the assist, Ms...?"

The asari grasped her hand warmly, the contact eliciting a shock of electricity that sent a pleasant tingle over her entire body. She had had some other biotics give her a small shock when she made contact, but nothing like this. The asari's eyes seemed to be pools of endless depth, a pair that Shepard could easily drown in. She shook her head, clearing her mind, mentally berating herself for acting like a lovestruck teenager.

The asari smiled, showing her teeth, obviously aware of the affect she was having on Shepard. "Mirala. And you need no introduction... Commander Shepard."

Miranda frowned, suspicion changing to near-hostility. "How do you know who we are?"

The asari never ceased eye contact with Shepard as she answered. "Oh, I have no idea who you are. An unimportant pawn Shepard is using to get the job done, I'm sure. But Shepard? Everyone on Omega knows that she docked a few days back, and anyone who knows about the missing human colonies can put two and two together. You need a way to counter whatever is paralyzing the colonists. Dr. Solus is one of the foremind scientific minds in the galaxy, and he's been itching to get off this rock. It was only a matter of time before Shepard came looking for him."

Miranda was obviously becoming more and more concerned with the asari. "And how exactly did you know-"

Shepard cut her off, feeling extremely irritated with the Cerberus lackey. "Enough, Lawson. She helped us out when she didn't need to. If she wanted us dead, then she could have hit us with her biotics while we were distracted by the mercs."

She glanced over at Taylor, to see him already pushing forward, taking point. Good man. Didn't say a word and just followed her lead. If only Miranda could take a page out of his book. "You wouldn't happen to be interested in helping us out a bit more, Mirala? We need to get to Dr. Solus' medical center as soon as we possibly can."

Mirala's smile widened. "For you, Shepard? _Anything_ you want."

Shepard couldn't help her reaction to that. She blushed, breaking eye contact and looking past the asari. "Well, yes. Hmm. Thank you. We should, um, move out then." Well aware that she was babbling, she pushed past Mirala, following Jacob, leaving Miranda in the company of the asari. Maybe Mirala would get fed up and drop a singularity on the bitch.

* * *

With Mirala in her squad, Shepard found that it was much easier to break through the few Blue Suns that dared to stand in their way. The awe-inspiring display of biotic power that Mirala continually used was simply astounding. The asari didn't seem to tire at all. Shepard watched her technique, trying to figure out how exactly she was pulling so much power. Most likely, it was simply hundreds of years of training. However, Shepard had done plenty of research on biotics, and even the oldest asari that she knew of still tired after using biotics for an extended period of time. It was simply a matter of burning calories. Mirala, on the other hand, seemed to be as fresh when they finally broke through to Solus' clinic as when she first showed herself.

She would have to ask the asari how exactly she was accomplishing this, as it could be an invaluable technique on the battlefield, one that could easily save lives. Assuming, of course, that she was willing to share, but somehow Shepard thought she might tell her, if no one else. They seemed to have a connection of sorts, even if they had only met a couple hours prior. And Mirala had made no secret of her interest, either. Yes, she'd ask her to share her ability once they were back on the Normandy.

She started, catching herself. When had she decided to ask Mirala to join them permanently? The asari certainly would be of assistance in their mission, of course, but she knew next to nothing about her. She was not normally one to make an impulse decision like this, but then, Mirala was not a normal asari.

She drew Mirala to one side, allowing Jacob and Miranda to head into the clinic ahead of them.

"I realize we just met, but I could really use your help. Past this little mission, I mean."

Mirala cocked her head, her eyes seeming to bore into Shepard's. "What do you want me to do, Shepard?"

She cleared her throat, desperately trying to shut off her body's reaction to the asari's proximity. "I, um, well, we're on a very dangerous mission. You see, human colonies are being abducted-"

"By the Collectors. I know. And you are working with Cerberus to stop them. Something I admire about you. You are willing to do anything to get what you want, even if that means siding with an organization that many would consider to be evil, though that is such an archaic term."

She flushed, knowing the asari realized what effect she had, and knowing she was utilizing it intentionally. But something still penetrated her thoughts. "It's not because it's what I want. I have to stop the Collectors because they're abducting innocent people. And I could really use your help."

Something flashed over Mirala's face when Shepard explained her reasons. It was just for a very brief instant, and Shepard wouldn't have even seen it had her face not been within two inches of the asari. But her features twisted into a sneer of disgust for just that one moment, and then it was gone. Shepard blinked, unsure whether or not she had seen it.

Mirala extended her hand as if nothing else had happened. "Of course. I would be happy to offer my services if you'll get me off this rock."

Shepard took her hand, shaking off Mirala's reaction. "Welcome aboard the Normandy, Mirala."

She smiled. Miranda was going to throw a fit.


	7. Understanding

_~Author's Note~ I apologize for the incredibly long delay, but life intervened, as it does sometimes. _

_Enjoy the chapter, and please drop a review if you read._

_And one other thing- the rating has been changed to M, just to be safe. I don't think we're really going to cross any lines, but I'd rather not push it._

* * *

Convincing Solus to join them was easy enough.

All he wanted them to do was get his cure into the air, something that should have been very simple, but that Shepard somehow knew would turn out to be much more complicated than that.

Mirala's biotics cleared a path for them to the reactors, the vorcha acting only as so much fodder. Shepard again shook her head at the asari's biotic display, and the fact that she was still showing no sign at all of tiring. She really had to figure out how Mirala was doing that.

Miranda was obviously feeling a bit shown up, as she had at first attempted to keep up with Mirala's pace, but fell behind sharply as they slogged through dozens of the vorcha.

Already Shepard had a very bad feeling about this. There was no way that the vorcha had designed a plague. Dr. Solus had suggested the Collectors were behind it. Why were they abducting human colonies and trying to make a plague that would be blamed on humans? What was the purpose, the goal, of their activities?

Kalahira had been silent since she had helped Shepard save Garrus- not that she was complaining, she had needed a full night's rest after staying up until Garrus came to. But she could just send her a message or something, give her a couple more hints as to what to do.

They turned the corner into the chamber, and her thoughts scattered as they engaged the vorcha once again. There were a lot of them, all guarding the reactor that Shepard would need to turn on, but the four of them didn't have much of a problem clearing them out.

A couple more waves came in, but there were simply too few of them to stop Shepard and her team.

All in all, it was one of the easier missions she had been on. But her bad feeling would not go away, and Shepard had learned to trust her instincts. She remained on edge until they had retrieved Dr. Solus and were back on the Normandy.

* * *

Mordin set up shop in the research lab- he, at least, seemed rather thrilled with the situation. Miranda, however, was being completely unreasonable.

"She is not on the dossier, Shepard!"

She had just about had enough of her Cerberus-assigned X.O. "So, what, only the people that your boss approves can come with us? She's a very powerful biotic, and she's willing to work for free!"

Miranda glared at her. "Something about her strikes me as being... off, Shepard. And I've learned to trust my instincts."

"As have I. And my instincts are telling me to take her."

The Cerberus operative sighed, obviously realizing that she wasn't going to win this fight. "Alright, Shepard. It's your call. She's a loose cannon, she likes what she does to people too much for my taste. I really hope you know what you're doing... and that you're not letting your personal feelings get in the way of the mission."

Shepard narrowed her eyes. "Exactly what is that supposed to mean?"

Miranda met her eyes for a moment, then shook her head. "Nothing. I'll be in my office if you need me."

Shepard watched her go for a moment, then shrugged. Miranda was paranoid- it was probably part of her job description. She could keep Mirala under control, and she had spoken truly about her biotics, they would indeed be a great asset. A small, petty part of her, suggested that Miranda was simply jealous because Mirala was a better biotic than her. But then, Shepard was a better biotic than her as well. She laughed to herself. It would be funny if the entire reason why Miranda seemed to dislike her stemmed from her jealousy over Shepard's biotics. Ah, if only it were that simple.

She headed up to the CIC to tell Joker to take them to the Citadel. Finally, they could go and get Garrus some proper treatment. Hopefully they hadn't taken too long. If they had... well, Miranda was going to get what was coming to her a bit early if that were the case.

* * *

She had expected the doctors on the Citadel to take Garrus for awhile. Not for two whole weeks, though. Being without Garrus for two weeks, the only person she felt she could trust to watch her back in a live-fire situation... a part of her wanted to do nothing more than curl up into a ball and wait for him to come back.

She shrugged that off. She was Commander Shepard, she had done just fine before Garrus got here, and she could do fine without him here for a bit, especially if it meant they could heal most of the damage that had been done to him.

"Right, Shepard, that's why you're wandering around the mess area at 4 AM, unable to sleep," she mocked herself quietly. She tried to explain that away by telling herself she was worried about Garrus, not about how she would do without him, but that was only partially true.

She sighed, determined to try to get some sleep once more, and turned to exit the room.

Mirala was standing in the doorway.

She jumped, and almost let out one of her embarassing yelps that Garrus liked to tease her about.

The asari grinned, but said nothing.

"God, Mirala, you scared the shit out of me."

"Apologies, Shepard. My people do like to keep to the shadows."

Shepard recovered enough to appreciate the irony of that statement. "Right. Most asari I've met prefer attention."

"Mmm. Yes. They do." The look on the asari's face... Shepard averted her eyes before her body's reaction caught up with her again.

"I... um, I need to go try and get some sleep. Won't be much of a Commander tomorrow if I don't have any sleep."

Mirala's eyes glittered. "Do you need some company... to escort you back?"

She shook her head, still not meeting the asari's eyes. "No, no. I can find my own way back just fine." What the hell was wrong with her?

Mirala smoothly slid to one side. "Whatever you desire, Commander."

She slipped past the asari, who hadn't quite moved enough to be completely out of the way. Shepard brushed against her on the way out, and ignored the electric shock that accompanied the touch.

She didn't look back, making straight for the elevator, not trusting herself to meet that gaze.

* * *

Back in her own room, she berated herself out loud.

"What the hell are you, a schoolgirl with her first crush? You've got a mission to perform, get ahold of yourself. She's just an asari. Yes, an incredibly beautiful one, but still just an asari." She slammed her first onto the sink, staring down into it.

She hated letting her emotions get the better of her. She could reason her way through this. She had never felt such a strong initial reaction to someone, positive or negative. It was simply not like her. Garrus hadn't been here long enough to see her... crush, infatuation, whatever the hell this was, otherwise he would undoubtedly tease her to death over it.

Not even Kaidan had been like- she violently shut down that thought, refusing to go through that again. Not at this hour.

With a sigh, she slipped between the sheets, trying to catch a few hours of sleep before the day began anew. They were just going to pick up a prisoner, it should be a piece of cake. Nice and easy, go in, pay the cash, take the prisoner, and get out. Shepard was willing to lay money it wouldn't be that simple.

In hindsight, she should really start betting with people on it.

* * *

"The Warden seems to have reneged on his contract, Shepard."

"Yes, thank you for that, Jacob. Couldn't have figured that out from the dozens of his mercs he's throwing at us."

Mirala crushed the captain of the mercs with her biotics, just folding him up like a cardboard box. Shepard winced.

Mirala calmly dropped back down behind cover. "Kuril has obviously gone completely insane if he hopes to capture Commander Shepard with a few dozen rejects from the Blue Suns."

Shepard grinned at the asari. "I think he's just trying to commit suicide via Shepard."

Mirala grinned back. "I'd be more than happy to hold him down for you."

They fought their way through to the control area, Mirala slamming the unfortunate techie into the wall with a sickening crack. Shepard glanced down at the button and swore. "Son of a bitch. It's linked to all the cells over the entire station."

Jacob pressed a hand on her shoulder. "Shepard... we'd let all these prisoners out."

Her face set. "There is no other way to get Jack. I'm doing it."

Mirala grinned again. "Glorious. There will be a battle waged over the entire station, desperate prisoners attacking their tormentors."

Shepard glanced at her, a little repulsed by her tone. Mirala's love of violence was a little too vivid for her tastes. Perhaps that's why she was so good at what she did. Regardless, this had to be done. "Stand by, I'm letting them out. This could get interesting."

Jacob shook his head. "Yeah, that's exactly the word I would choose."

She released the safeguard and then pressed the button to get Jack out of cryo. She had come here to get a biotic prodigy, and by the goddess, she was going to get him. Or, as it turned out, her.

"That's Jack?"

"Huh. Didn't see that coming."

Shepard's eyebrows shot straight up as Jack tore through the heavy mechs that had been guarding her cage. "Wow. She might be able to give you a run for your money, Mirala."

The asari rolled her eyes. "Please, Shepard. Some of us know how to utilize control instead of using everything in one burst. We can.. stretch out the moment for hours."

Shepard ignored the double entendre. "Come on. We need to get down there and help her."

Jacob's reply was heavily sardonic. "Help her? It looks like everyone else is going to need help."

* * *

It was when Warden Kuril was finally taken down that Shepard got an inkling of what exactly Mirala was doing to keep her biotics as powerful as they were for as long as she was. The turian was crawling towards his gun, desperate to try to reach it before the oncoming asari reached him. Mirala used her biotics to pick him up and slam him into the wall.

From the distance she was at, Shepard couldn't hear the words that were exchanged, but she did Mirala's sinister smile and her placing both hands on the turian's head. And then it seemed like she just... drained him. He visibly became weaker as Shepard watched. The overwhelming sense of wrongness, the only way she could describe her feeling, was simply nauseating. She knew, somehow, that what was being done to Kuril was not something she could ever bring herself to do, no matter the situation.

Finally, the Warden's eyes rolled back in his head and he fell limply backwards. Mirala stood and streched, then trotted down the incline towards Jacob and Shepard. Jacob hadn't seen a thing, having been occupied with the two remaining mercenaries. Shepard just stared at Mirala as she approached. The asari noticed her gaze and slowed, realizing that Shepard must have seen what had happened.

Shepard shook her head in disgust. "Come on, Taylor. Let's go get Jack."

Mirala laid a hand on her shoulder. "Some people deserve whatever is done to them, Shepard."

She met the asari's gaze squarely, for once not feeling nervous or intimidated. "Things like that are never about whether or not a person deserves it, Mirala." She brushed her hand off of her shoulder, and turned to follow Jacob. "It's about what that shit does to the person who uses it."

Mirala stared after her, her eyes narrowing. She brought a hand up, her biotics at the ready. The voice was the only thing that stopped her from tearing into Shepard with her biotics. "Patience. It is not yet her time. You will have her, when it is time... my Siha."


	8. Judge and Jury

_~Author's Note~ A little game called Guild Wars 2 kinda interrupted my plans for this chapter. (If anyone is playing, I am on Anvil Rock. Just having fun, not rushing or anything.)_

_As far as this chapter goes, well, those of you wondering about Thane... we're here. :)_

_Enjoy the chapter and please leave a review if you read._

* * *

One crazy extremely powerful biotic was hard enough to deal with. Two on the same ship? That was simply asking for trouble. Jack hadn't been on board the Normandy for 24 hours before she and Mirala were at it. Perhaps this was their way of bonding, Shepard thought. Maybe extraordinarily powerful and entirely insane biotics liked to beat each other up as a way of saying hello.

She winced as Jack flew into the side of the ship, Mirala advancing on her, her eyes glittering with the thrill of battle.

"So, you gonna do something about that?" Joker gestured at the fight in the cargo bay.

Shepard raised an eyebrow. "Exactly what do you want me to do, Joker?"

He smirked. "Oh, I'd prefer you do nothing, just wondering whether it was worth it to set up the recorder. I bet I could sell this one on the 'net for quite a bit. I just need to think of a good title."

"I will smear the walls with you, bitch!"

He cocked his head at Jack's battlecry. "No, no, that's too violent. I need something more... sexy. EDI. Run a search on asari porn, get me some title names."

"Yes, Mr. Moreau. Running search terms now."

He headed off towards the cockpit. "Perhaps I could take a look at some of the Fornax magazines, maybe they'd give me an idea, too."

Shepard yelled after his retreating form. "Joker! Look it up on your own time, don't use EDI to do... that!"

"It's for the mission! Think of it as fundraising!"

She shook her head and turned back to the bay. She sighed. She really did have to step in here, who knew if either of these two would cry uncle before someone got seriously hurt.

"Alright you two, break it up already."

Jack had been in the middle of throwing a shockwave at her opponent, and she completed the motion, sending Mirala into the side of the ship.

Shepard turned to glare at her.

Jack shrugged. "Fucker was asking for it."

"You two wanna beat each other up, you can wait till after we've taken down the Collectors. Until then, this being my ship, you will follow my orders-"

Mirala wasn't listening. At all. The pulse of biotic energy that was intended for Jack also caught Shepard, and sent them both sprawling into the cargo bay's wall.

Jack grunted when she hit, and grunted again when Shepard slammed into her.

"Alright, bitch, now its on!" The tattoed biotic shoved Shepard off of her, and sprang up, throwing another shockwave at her opponent. Shepard sat up gingerly, wincing as pain shot through her side. That had really hurt.

She slumped back against the wall, in no hurry to try to break the fight up again. Mirala was gleaming, a sheen of sweat over her body. Strangely enough, it didn't hold the same attraction for Shepard after seeing what she had done to Kuril. That one event had snapped Shepard out of her infatuation. She still wouldn't trust herself alone and in the same room, but at least she was able to get angry at the asari.

And right now, she was bloody pissed. This was her ship, damn it, and they would follow her orders.

"That. Is. ENOUGH."

She grabbed both Mirala and Jack with her biotics and slammed them together. "Stand down, both of you, right now, or so help me, I will vent the cargo bay into space."

The abrupt collision appeared to have snapped Mirala out of whatever battle trance she had fallen into. She glared at her opponent, who grinned back at her.

Jack rolled her neck, flexing her shoulders. "You pack a mean wallop... for a tentacle-head."

Mirala said nothing, simply staring at Jack. Shepard took a step towards them, ready to intervene. Mirala had murder in her eyes. Then she blinked, and it was gone.

"Are we done here, Shepard?"

"Yeah, Jack. You can go."

Both of them turned to leave, and Shepard cleared her throat. "Not you, Mirala. I need a word."

She waited until Jack had gone before addressing the asari. If Mirala had known her better, she would have understood that the icy calm with which Shepard spoke was a prelude to her wrath.

"If you ever disregard my orders again," she looked directly into the asari's eyes, her own blazing. "You will be off this ship at the next port, and until that time, you will be confined to whatever room I can temporarily designate as the brig. Understood?"

"I'm not one of your lackeys, Shepard."

Her eyes narrowed. "While you are on this ship, you are under my authority. And while you are under my authority, you will follow my orders. If that is too much for you, I can drop you off at Ilium. We are already in the system, and I'm heading down there anyway."

The asari's face blanched. The fight completely drained out of her, and Shepard saw naked fear flash across her features. She dropped her gaze, and whispered quietly. "No. I understand."

Shepard took a step closer, wondering what on earth would cause Mirala to be so frightened of Ilium. "Is there a reason we shouldn't go to Ilium? Mirala?"

"Shepard, I-"

The ship shook as the shields absorbed something.

The alarm klaxons went off as the emergency lights came on, and Joker's voice came over the comm. "... the shit? Who is firing on us, EDI?"

The AI's synthetic voice was as calm as ever. "You are now on comm, Mr. Moreau."

"Shepard, we're being fired on!"

"They are now hailing, Mr. Moreau."

"Now they wanna talk! I think maybe they should do things the other way around."

Shepard glanced back at Mirala, whose face had become completely impassive, giving away nothing. She sighed, mentally cursing the unfortunate interruption. "I'll be in the comm room in a minute, Joker."

She turned back to the asari. "Mirala, if there's something I should know..."

"Nothing."

She hesitated, but there was someone firing at her ship. She hoped whatever Mirala's issues were, they could wait.

* * *

The comm screen flickered to life, and an asari that looked as dangerous as she did beautiful came into focus. She looked surprised, but the expression faded almost instantly.

"I suppose she has you convinced she is an innocent victim in this, child?"

She disliked the asari almost instantly. First, she fired on her ship without provocation. Second, she seemed almost... bored by talking to her. And third, she called her a child. Shepard hated people talking down to her. She had quite enough of that with the council.

"Alright, lady, who are you, what are you talking about, and more importantly why the fuck are you firing on my ship?"

The asari sighed, sitting down in some sort of chair. "Listen, child, there is not much time. You have a dangerous stowaway on board your ship, and you are all in grave danger."

"Do you know who I am?"

"It does not matter who you are, this person is beyond your capability to handle."

Shepard snorted. "Lady, I've taken down a god. A *person* is not going to be a problem, and if they are, it's my problem to deal with. Your way of warning me about dangerous stowaways is not appreciated. Opening fire on my ship is not considered a polite way to begin negotiations where I come from."

The other captain inclined her head. "Forgive me, you are correct. I simply assumed that given her condition, she had either killed and drained you all by now."

"I think you have the wrong-" She stopped, suddenly remembering Warden Kuril. "I'm sorry, did you say drained?"

"Yes. It is how she feeds. She drains people, generally after mating with them, although that does not have to be the case."

Shepard remained silent. She was after Mirala, she was certain of it now. But Shepard had taken Mirala on board her ship, and now, after she had helped them in several missions, she couldn't just turn her over to this other asari, and certainly not merely on her word.

The asari continued. "It is a rare disease among my people, extremely rare. We thought, for awhile, that it had been wiped out altogether. But it has returned in recent generations. Those who do fall prey to such a disease are quarantined on a planet of our choice, with others of their kinds, and allowed to live their lives in peace."

"Provided they never leave the planet. For a thousand years, stuck with the same few jailers." Shepard shook her head. "Let me guess. This person you are chasing decided they didn't want to live that way."

The asari seemed unaware of Shepard's feelings on the matter. "Precisely. And she has struck a trail of murder across the galaxy for the past four hundred years that rivals no other Ardat-Yakshi in our recorded history."

Shepard had seen first-hand how dangerous Mirala could be. But she was not turning over one of her crewmembers without getting their side of the story first.

"I suppose you want me to just hand her over."

The asari shook her head. "I'm afraid that would be quite beyond your skills. I merely wish for you to allow a boarding party, I and a comrade will come over and take her out."

"By take her out, you mean... kill her."

She was nothing if not direct. "Yes."

"Just like that? No chance to defend herself in a court, you're just going to murder her?"

"Putting aside the fact that she wouldn't come with me even if I did ask her to, I am a justicar. As a human, I don't expect you to understand. Suffice it to say that I am an equivalent to an asari court of law, and I have found her guilty."

That was pretty much the most arrogant thing Shepard had ever heard anyone say. "And she is one of my crew-members, and has done nothing to me or mine. Should she ever attempt to kill one of us, rest assured, I will take care of her."

"If you assist an evil such as this, human, I cannot answer for your fate."

Shepard shook her head. "I don't need you to. I look after my own."

She reached down to sever the link when the asari spoke again. "I'm not asking you to turn her over, human. I am ordering you. Stand down or we will take out the ship, if that is what is necessary to take out Morinth."

"Give it your best shot, justicar." She sneered the asari's title, and then cut communications.

"Joker! Take us into stealth and get us away from that ship. EDI, designate it hostile. Give me an open comm to the rest of the Normandy."

EDI's voice was still just as calm as when this whole mess started. "Done, Commander."

"Mirala, wherever the fuck you are, get up to the comm station, immediately. The rest of you, we have a hostile ship in the area, you know the drill."

"I am going to get some answers this time, asari," she muttered to herself.

* * *

"I can no longer detect them, justicar." The asari working directly to the side of Samara had been desperately mashing buttons for the last thirty seconds, but had apparently given up. "They must have some sort of cloaking device."

The drell standing directly next to her pointed out the forward window. "We can still see them, though that will not be the case for long. They are far nimbler than we are, and will be out of range shortly. Your weapon systems are inadequate for the job at hand, you will not be able to do sufficient damage before she is out of visual range, and then who knows where she will go."

Samara sat back, knowing what he said was true. "She is merely protecting a crewmate, as a mother might her child. I do not wish to shed the blood of innocents, only if they stand between me and my goal. Your tracking device is operational, Mr. Krios?"

"Of course."

She allowed her eyes to close, seeking meditation. "Then now we wait. We are closer than I have been in a hundred years. I will not ruin this by rushing it further. Morinth may believe she is safe on-board the Normandy, or she may not. In either case, we know where she is and we can track where she is going."

She fell into her meditation, calmed by the thought that soon, very soon, she would fulfill her oath.

It was only a matter of time.


	9. Setup

_~Author's Note~ __Aftershock is on hold until further notice, Leviathan DLC really is screwing up my plot and I need to figure out some things._

_Enjoy the chapter._

* * *

Mirala had been ready to flee. She had already put what she needed into her pack, ready to take off.

She heard Shepard's voice come over the comm telling her to get up to the comm station. Like that was going to happen, she was just going to turn her over-

"The rest of you, we have a hostile ship in the area, you know the drill."

Wait... a hostile ship? Shepard had designated Samara's cruiser as hostile? It could be a trap, a way to get her to let her guard down. But she felt the Normandy's stealth drive kick in, an easy enough task if you knew what you were listening for. It was elaborately designed, if it was a trap.

Cautious but optimistic, she took the elevator to the comm room, leaving her pack behind. For now.

She stepped out into a scene of controlled chaos. The comm room was definitely not designed with this many people in mind. "I want to know everything about that ship. Get me a list of all justicars, Miranda, if you can do that. What the fuck is a justicar anyway?"

Miranda was bent over the table, studying some diagrams. "It's like... hmm, perhaps the best analogy would be a human monk? I'm not sure exactly how to explain it."

"A monk?" Shepard's tone was incredulous. "The guys who dropped back into isolation to focus on making beer?"

Mirala stepped in. "No. What they are is a licensed killer. The asari government gives them full power to make decisions and judgments on the asari people. They follow a strict code of morals that does not allow for any moral grey area, and they kill anyone they consider to be an evil-doer. They are required to, by their code."

Shepard met her eyes, then shook her head. "And your people stand for this? So she really is a judge, jury, and executioner, one single person given all that power. What kind of moronic race gives all that power to one individual?"

Miranda muttered to herself. "Power corrupts, and absolute power-"

"Oh you have nothing to talk about, Ms. Cerberus. TIM has just as much power over you as these justicars have over the asari."

Miranda met Shepard's gaze squarely. "No. He doesn't."

She raised her brow. Interesting. But, at the moment, irrelevant. She turned back to the asari. "Right, Mirala, why is this justicar hunting you? She seemed particularly... peeved about you."

Mirala hesitated for a moment. She needed Shepard to feel pity for her, and there was certainly one way to do that at the moment. And it was the truth, too. "She is... my mother."

The conversation in the comm station ceased for a second. Shepard stared at her in shock. "Your mother? You're joking. No mother would... you aren't joking. Your own mother wants to hunt you down like a dog and kill you?" The shock had turned to sheer rage.

Mirala shook her head sadly. This was perfect, Shepard had reacted exactly as she wanted her to. "I told you, they are forced to abide by their code, and a part of their code states that any asari afflicted with my... condition, must-"

"I know, I know, she told me. Stay on one planet with your jailers, or be hunted down and slaughtered."

She nodded. "She still has my two sisters there. Both of them had the same condition. I tried to get them to come with me, but they were too we- frightened."

"Good god. What is so terrible about this disease that they must keep you locked up? Is it extremely contagious?"

"No, no, nothing like that. It's a genetic... defect, so that when an asari melds her mind to another- are you familiar with that, Commander?"

Shepard grimaced, remembering Liara's melds after she had found the Prothean beacons. "Yes."

"Well, it... kills the other person."

It was not something she wanted to reveal to Shepard. But the rational side of her told her that Shepard could quite easily look up the details of the Ardat-Yakshi disease, with Cerberus' help. It wasn't exactly public knowledge, but it wasn't top-secret either. The fact that there were Ardat-Yakshi still in existence was a secret, but not the specifics of the disease. No, full disclosure was her best chance here.

Shepard looked at her a little oddly and opened her mouth, then glanced around the room and closed it again.

"So let me get this straight. Due to the fact that you... kill people when melding with them, your mother has been chasing you around the galaxy trying to kill you?"

Mirala nodded. "For the past four hundred years."

Shepard shook her head. "Well, the justicars are at least dedicated-"

_DANGER__!_

The word blasted through her consciousness like a trumpet, causing her to wince with its ferocity. "Kalahira?" But there was no further message. The goddess had been silent for almost a week now.

Mirala's eyes had narrowed as she regarded Shepard. Shepard just shrugged, playing it off as it had been nothing.

"What is her name, Mirala?"

The asari hesitated for a brief instant, then, "Samara."

"Alright, Miranda, I want to know everything about Samara there is to know. No one threatens to blow up my ship."

Miranda cleared her throat. "Ah, Shepard."

"What?"

"Samara was one of the reasons we were going to Ilium. The Illusive Man already sent you a dossier on her."

"Oh. Must have forgotten to read it." She called up her omnitool's message file, and sure enough, there was a dossier on Samara, asari justicar. "Well, so much for recruiting her. Still, the information could be valuable." She had begun to sift through the files when Joker spoke.

"Not to interrupt this sordid tale of wonderful mother/daughter relationships, but where exactly are we planning on going? We can't exactly head back to Ilium. Not with, you know, the crazy asari sitting in that system waiting to kill us."

She looked up, considering. "There were two dossiers for Ilium. The drell assassin, Thane Krios, he's also there."

"Well yeah, but we can't just head back onto the planet with this Samara waiting for us."

Miranda spoke up. "For once, I agree with the pilot. We also need to find the Warlord Okeer. This will give us an opportunity to do so."

Shepard shook her head. "No. They know we needed something at Ilium. They are simply going to wait for us to come back." She grinned. "I have a better idea."

* * *

Miranda, Shepard, and Jacob disembarked from the _Eye of Fury, _a name that was perhaps given to the ship because of how small its quarters were. Any passenger who had to remain on that ship for an extended period of time would be furious, indeed.

Miranda shook her head, running her hands through her hair. "Ugh. That... ship does not deserve the title of transport. I have never seen someone that lied about their accommodation more blatantly than that batarian."

Shepard shrugged. She was used to smaller spaces. "He probably gave us the worst quarters, given that we are three humans. We don't exactly get along with the batarians."

Jacob made sure his assault rifle was ready to go, and glanced up, surveying Ilium's docks.

There was a group of asari heading down their way. He nudged Shepard. "We've got trouble, perhaps."

Shepard stared down at the group for a moment, and then relaxed. Two of them were armed, but it was pretty clear this was just the standard detail, come to collect docking fees.

The asari in front approached them. "Are you the captain of that... ship?" She gestured behind them to the _Eye of Fury._

Shepard shook her head. "Nope. He's inside."

They brushed past the docking detail, Miranda loudly whispering as they did so. "Hope they squeeze that bastard of as many credits as they can."

Jacob took his hand away from his rifle, but still kept glancing around them, checking for threats. Shepard shook her head. Military habits died hard, she knew that.

"Where are we going, Shepard?"

"To see an old friend."

* * *

The receptionist glanced up at them. "Do you have an appointment?"

Shepard smiled. "I'm pretty sure Liara will be happy to see me."

The asari just stared at her. "An appointment, ma'am?"

Her smile vanished. "Look, you, Liara and I are very old friends-"

"Yes, yes, and I'm sure you two had many wonderful stories together. Do you have an appointment?"

"No, no, I don't bloody have an appointment-"

"Nyxeris, hold my calls please? And do send the Commander in." Liara's voice was strained, tired, in a way that Shepard had never heard it before.

She spared a moment to smirk at the receptionist before walking into Liara's office. Liara stood from her desk, extending a hand towards Shepard. She ignored it, and walked around behind the desk to engulf the asari in a hug.

"Ah! Shepard! Careful with the chest, Shepard, I'm still recovering."

"It is good to see you too, Liara."

The asari's smile didn't reach her eyes. "And you as well, Shepard."

Shepard glanced around the room, taking in the spartan accommodations. "You have... intriguing taste, Liara."

"I have no time for much interior decorating, Shepard, I'm busy."

The Commander glanced down at the asari, her brow raised.

Liara sighed. "Not too busy for you, of course. Have a seat." She waited until Shepard had done so, and then resumed her own. "Now... what can the foremost information broker in the Terminus do for you?"

* * *

She told Liara everything, withholding only Samara's name and the fact that she was a justicar. If justicars truly had the power in asari society that Mirala had said, she did not wish to get Liara in trouble with her people. Though, if Liara's current occupation was anything to go by, she might already know. Still, if she didn't outright tell her, she could always claim ignorance after the fact.

Even though she was nearly certain Liara would refuse, she asked her to join her anyways. Liara looked pained for a moment, but there was never any real question between them. She had changed in the two years since Shepard had been gone, and Shepard was certain it had not been for the better.

Part of that was evident when Liara didn't even flinch on Shepard telling her about Mirala. Liara's own problems she had had with her mother may make her sympathetic to Mirala's plight, but still, if Ardat-Yakshi were as evil as she had been told, she would have expected Liara to say something, to try to get her to break ties with Mirala. But there was nothing, only cool calculation.

"Yes, I do see the dilemma. Fortunately for you, Mr. Krios is on Ilium. I believe he is going after Nassana Dantius, if my sources are correct. You should easily be able to get in, pick him up, and be out of here before anyone realizes who you truly are. Just... be careful, Shepard. Nassana isn't going to let you waltz in and help Mr. Krios to assassinate her."

Shepard smiled. "The plan was merely to recruit him. If I get a little payback on Nassana as well, then, so much the better. I still remember how she played us."

"Miranda. Jacob. Let's go catch ourselves a drell."

Liara shook her head as Shepard and her entourage left. "Still the same old Shepard, always convinced that you can save everyone."

She opened a channel to her contact. "They are coming for you, Thane, as we agreed."

The harsh voice of the drell assassin came back over the line. "Good. Then we are close."

"Yes. Good luck. Oh... and Mr. Krios?"

"Yes?"

Liara's voice hardened. "If you hurt her, or any member of her crew besides the Ardat-Yakshi, I will personally hunt you down and flay you alive. With my mind."

"Understood, Dr. T'Soni. You have nothing to worry about."

"I hope so, for your sake."


	10. Assassin

_~Author's Note~ Okay so, its been a long time since I've updated anything, especially WA. I had a serious illness for a couple months that prevented me from being able to do much of anything, but I am now nearly over it and have been able to get back to writing. The next month or so will still be very hectic, as I have to catch up on all the work I missed, but I should be sporadically updating for awhile before hopefully getting back onto a schedule._

___Through the Looking Glass is still going to be updated, don't worry on that account. I've got that chapter about halfway finished._

_Hope you enjoy the chapter, and apologies for the massive delay. Life does get in the way sometimes._

* * *

Thane Krios was one of the best assassins in the entire galaxy. In his prime, he had no equal. What separated him from the others was that he would not take a job merely for the credits. Not anymore. He was actively trying to make the galaxy a better place. Terminal diseases had a way of bringing your life into focus unlike anything else. The knowledge that in a few short years, he would be gone, well, it changed everything. Even the asari justicar he was currently working for would kill innocents if they got in her way. She considered that they were no longer innocent. Thane disagreed. To him, if you killed an innocent on a mission, the mission was a failure, no matter if the target died or not.

It was for this reason that he had insisted that it be him, not Samara, that got onto the Normandy when she had first laid out her plan. He had no illusions about what Samara would do as soon as she saw Morinth- kill her, and anyone else who tried to get in her way. It also made strategic sense, given that Morinth didn't know that he was working for Samara.

At first, he had been reluctant to accept Samara's offer. He always insisted on full disclosure when accepting a mission, and Samara was honest with him and told him everything, including her relationship to Morinth. The idea of a mother tracking down and killing her own daughter, no matter the latter's crimes, was not something that sat well with him. He doubted he could ever take Kolyat down, regardless of anything his son had done. But having seen the places that Morinth had left behind, the broken, twisted bodies, he had decided that Samara was correct. This Ardat-Yakshi was an evil unlike anything he had ever faced. If he could rid the galaxy of her presence before his body's strength left him, it would have a great impact on the galaxy for the better.

He slipped through the merc's barrier like smoke flowing along in the wind. They never even realized he was close until it was far too late. Combat was something he understood on a primal level. It was no longer something he consciously thought about, at least not for most fights. It was instinctual. He sent up a silent prayer to Amonkira that this hunt would be successful and that the real prey would fall for the bait. He needed to get onto the Normandy, and there was one surefire way to do that. Impress Shepard. Show her just how good he was. If he did that, then she might take him despite his condition.

It was only for that reason that he laid waste to all the mercs in his path, rather than slipping around them. Let Shepard follow in his wake and understand just what he was capable of. Let the terror of his passing be used for something good, this time. His greatest fight was still ahead of him.

* * *

Shepard signaled to Jacob, who jumped out from behind cover, his assault rifle aimed down the bridge. He lowered it with a gasp. Shepard came to stand beside him, and surveyed the carnage ahead of her. The twisted remains of two rocket turrets were scattered over the end of the bridge, while the dead bodies of over two dozen mercs were lying in various positions.

Miranda whistled. "This Thane is something else. I am sure glad he's going to be on our side."

Shepard started forward over the bridge. Taking this area would have been an extremely difficult task if Thane hadn't already cleared it. She had thought as much many times on this mission, but never so starkly as this. As Miranda said, it was a good thing Thane was on their side. Or going to be.

They pushed inside, always heading up. Nassana Dantius was in the penthouse, and Thane was going for her. It was a good bet that they would find him there.

In a way, Thane's attempt to clear their path nearly killed her. It gave her a sense of complacency she would never have had otherwise. They had just passed through yet another room filled with dead mercs. Miranda had ceased making comments on Thane. None of them had said a word for awhile, beyond what was completely necessary.

Shepard hit the key to bring the elevator to their level. Miranda and Jacob were searching the bodies of the mercs, seeing if there was any useful tech they could bring back to the Normandy. So when the elevator door opened and a heavy mech was standing inside, it was only Shepard who was in position to immediately engage it.

"SHIT!" She dove, desperately trying to get out of its line of fire. She wasn't fast enough. The rockets impacted a meter below her, the force of the explosion sending her flying across the room, her hud blinking at her like crazy. Her shields gone, she slammed into the wall. She felt something crack in her arm and her ribs. Pain washed over her for a brief instant before the stims kicked in. She desperately tried to stay conscious, realizing her friends needed her, but her body had simply sustained too much damage. The last thing she saw before blackness claimed her was the heavy mech stomping towards her.

* * *

She awoke to silence. Her eyes opened, staring up at the clear blue sky above her, dotted with storm clouds on the horizon. She sat up, and suddenly, it all came flooding back. The battle, the mech, the rockets- she grasped her arm, but there was no pain. It did not appear to be broken.

"Alas, I can only fix things in here. When you return, so will your injuries."

The voice was male, and very close. She stood up, taking her time, before turning to meet the gaze of whoever had spoken. A man was seated on one of the three benches, the one that was pulsing and red, the one that conjured up images of war and violence whenever she gazed at it too long.

"Somehow I get the idea that Kalahira wouldn't appreciate you being here, on her island."

The man laughed, a deep timbre in it that sent a shiver down her spine. "Her island? Oh my, that is rich, little warrior. This is no more her island that it is mine."

She supposed she should be frightened. Obviously he was a god like Kalahira and Arashu, but now it was almost becoming normal for her to meet them. "What do you want from me? Why did you bring me here?"

He smiled. It was not a pleasant one. "Oh, to take the measure of your worth. Kalahira's been rather lax in contacting you lately, hasn't she?"

Shepard shrugged. "I assume the life of a goddess is a busy one. Besides, I can handle myself."

"Can you? You are being chased by an asari justicar, who is only attempting to do her job and rid the galaxy of a murderer. You choose to defend her. May I ask why?"

She didn't have to even think about it. "Mirala is one of my crewmembers. I took her in, and I am not turning her over just because some pompous asari declares herself to be judge, jury, and executioner and demands that I surrender Mirala to her so she can kill her. Even if what she says is true, Mirala should be tried in a court of law, not murdered in cold blood by her mother!"

The man shifted on the bench, his eyes boring into hers. "Isn't that the real issue here? Her own mother wants to kill her. Your mother abandoned you. You simply sympathize with her plight."

Shepard's eyes flashed. "That is not true. My own past has nothing to do with this."

"Even if that's true, are not some people too dangerous to be tried in a court of law? Do you really think your pet Ardat-Yakshi will just sit back and let people sentence her to death without doing anything to stop it?"

She had had enough. "Did you bring me here just to interrogate me on my motives? What do you really want?"

He leaned forward. "I told you. To take the measure of your worth. To know what you are made of. It intrigues me that after all this time, Kalahira would choose someone to be her champion. I thought that was more the realm of Arashu."

He glanced up, staring at something far away, something Shepard could not see. "Our time is nearly up, little warrior. Let me give you one final piece of advice. When it is someone's time to die, you should let them die. The consequences if you do not can be most... unpleasant."

"It was not his time to die! Kalahira told me as much!"

"I am not referring to something you have done, but something you will do. Steal from me, little warrior, and we will have a reckoning one day. The souls of the departed belong to the Lord of the Hunt, and if you take one from me... only a life can pay for a life."

"The Lord of the Hunt? Who are you?"

He laughed again, even deeper than the last time. "So much ignorance in her chosen. I am Amonkira, little warrior. It has been a pleasure conversing with you, but now it is time for you to return. Do not forget our conversation, Siha." He clapped his hands and a blinding flash of light spread out over the island. Shepard involuntarily shut her eyes against its brightness.

* * *

When she opened them, the pain came flooding back. She was lying on her side against the wall, the sound of gunfire close by. Her arm throbbed, hanging off at an odd angle. She used her good arm to force herself to a sitting position and took stock of her surroundings. The heavy mech was crumpled in the floor of the room, unmoving. There were, however, several mercenaries firing into the back of the room. Miranda's biotics lit up the place, throwing some of the mercs off in various directions.

Shepard grunted, focusing through the pain to bring the grenade launcher off of her back. She dropped three grenades in the middle of the mercs before they realized what was going on, and by then it was far too late to get out of the way.

One messy explosion later, they were in the clear. Miranda stuck her head out from behind the box, and gave a sigh of relief when she saw Shepard struggling to her feet.

Jacob Taylor was at her side in an instant, helping her carefully to stand. "Thought we'd lost you there for a minute, Commander."

Shepard grimaced. It hurt to breathe, and she didn't want to look too closely at her arm. "We still have a mission to complete."

Jacob started to say something, doubtless about how Shepard had no business continuing on. She fixed him with a glare and he fell silent. "He's close, Jacob. We're almost at the penthouse. If he isn't there when we get there, he will be soon. I can survive a bit of pain for that long. It would make no sense to turn back now."

Jacob nodded, and the three of them headed into the elevator.

* * *

Nassana was waiting for them. Of course she must have seen them working their way up the building, so that was no surprise. Her paranoia wasn't much of a surprise either, and it was completely justified. There was someone coming to kill her, just not them.

Shepard was trying to convince her that they were not here to kill her when a drell dropped out of the skylight behind one of her guards. She had never seen a drell up close, and knowing that this was the same one that had killed over forty mercenaries single-handed made her watch a bit more closely. She immediately understood how he could have accomplished such a thing. The man was... graceful, as odd as that term sounded when it was applied to someone killing people.

He snapped the first guard's neck, and before her body had even hit the ground, he was on the second, crushing their windpipe with a blow to the throat. Nassana only heard something going on when he parried the blow of the third guard and then shot him in the head at point-blank range. She whirled, reaching for her pistol, but Thane was already far too close, grabbing her hand, preventing her from reaching her weapon, and placing his gun under her ribcage, aimed at her heart. He locked gazes with Nassana for a brief instant before pulling the trigger. She gasped as the bullet entered, and he ever so gently laid her back onto the console.

Her eyes were open, but unseeing. He closed them reverently, and folded her hands over her chest, before bowing his head and folding his own hands together in an attitude that could not be construed as anything but prayerful.

The entire process had taken possibly ten seconds. Shepard was stunned. She had seen people who were good at killing before, but never anything like this. Most of the people she knew just barged through using brute force, taking down everyone in their path. Thane was like a river, his fighting style reminiscent of water flowing around obstacles, rather than blowing through them.

She cleared her throat, pushing her thoughts aside for later. "Thane Krios?"

There was a few seconds of silence, then, "I apologize, but prayers for the wicked must not be forsaken."

Shepard glanced at the body on the table. "She hardly deserves it. Trust me, if you knew her like I do, you wouldn't be wasting your breath."

He met her gaze, and she was taken aback by the fact that his eyes were pure black. "Not for her. For me."

He walked around the table where he had placed Nassana. "The measure of an individual can be difficult to ascertain by actions alone. Take yourself, for example. Destruction and chaos follow in your wake. Does that make you evil, wicked? How far were you willing to go to find me? It was something I wished to discover."

She laughed, bitterly. "Morality kinda goes out the window when you are trying to save the galaxy."

He locked gazes with her. "No. That is when it is the most important. If you win a fight, but lose yourself while doing so, it wasn't worth it." He quieted, obviously remembering. "It never is."

She cut to the chase. "I could use your assistance, Thane. The collectors are abducting human colonists. I intend to put a stop to that."

"Stopping the collectors would require passing through the Omega-4 relay. No ship has ever returned from doing so."

"They told me it was impossible to get to Ilos, too."

He grinned. "A fair point. You have built a career out of doing the impossible. First Akuze, then Ilos. Very well. But there is something you should know. A suicide mission does not bother me because... I am dying."

She glanced over him, almost involuntarily. He did not appear to be sick.

He continued. "It is nothing for you to be concerned over. Kepral's Syndrome. My disease only affects drell, and isn't contagious, regardless. There is only one other mission I wish to accomplish before I leave this galaxy."

"What would that be?"

He smiled. "Perhaps I will tell you sometime. For now... I will work for you Shepard. Free of charge."

She had been fully prepared to pay him an exorbitant sum. "Why for free?"

"Let us say that I have been rewarded enough in this life. I simply wish to leave the galaxy a better place than I found it. By Kalahira's grace, I will do so."

She was too shocked to prevent the involuntary gasp that escaped her. Of course, she should have been prepared for this. Kalahira and Arashu were part of the drell religion, but somehow that had completely slipped her mind until just now.

Thane regarded her curiously. "Something wrong?"

"No. Let's get back to the Normandy. We need to get out of the system as soon as possible."

He fell into step behind them. "Of course. It will be interesting to see who else you have brought on this mission."

"We do have some characters."

His eyes sparkled. "I am sure you do, Shepard. I am sure you do."


End file.
